Genjutsu
by Chibi-Kari
Summary: When Fugaku went on his morning patrol, he didn't expect to find the Hokage's kidnapped son. Now it is up to them to find out how the boy escaped, where he was, what his captors wanted, and to heal him. Long term genjutsus don't make this task easy. Cannon yet non-cannon.
1. Chapter 1

**Chibi-Kari:** I said I would never do a Naruto fanfiction...I obviously lied. Here's my first attempt at one. It's going to be cannon, yet not cannon at all so please stick with me and you'll see what I mean in the next chapter. Feedback is always helpful! And of course, I don't own, but it would help me immensely if I did!

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**Genjutsu**

**Chapter 1**

Early morning patrol was quiet. As captain, Fugaku enjoyed pacing the streets of a sleeping Konoha. Although ninjas never abided by normal times, they tried to be discrete this early and it made for peaceful mornings, something he didn't get often with two sons under foot.

The sun was just peeking over the horizon painting the city in reds and yellows. 'It'll be a good day' Fugaku thought looking up at the sky. That was when he heard it. The uneven pattering of feet and felt the undulating chakra. He immediately tried to identify it, as was ingrained behaviour in the police force, but found it much to different yet shockingly similar at the same time to clearly come to a conclusion.

Rushing towards the noise, he came upon a boy no more than 12, stumbling around eyes wide. Immediately, he understood who this was. Why the chakra was so familiar.

"Naruto." The words left his mouth before he could even think. How could he be sure the boy even knew his own name? He'd been gone-stolen-for years now. Almost his whole life. But there wasn't a doubt in his mind. Chakra patterns were specific to families, thus family jutsus, and he knew that family well enough to identify the boy. And it obviously helped to sense some of the tainted chakra from the kyuubi.

The boy's wild eyes met his own and for a moment Fugaku only saw confusion in his eyes. Of course, why should the boy know him? He hadn't been in the village for years, they were sure of that fact.

Fugaku raised a hand in what he hoped was a calming gesture. "Welcome home, Naruto. Why don't you follow me?" He had to secure the boy quickly. If he escaped from his captors, they couldn't be too careful simply because the boy had made it into the city. These men would be back; be after him. Years ago, whoever these people were infiltrated the village and kidnapped their Hokage's son right under their noses and they made it look easy. It was an insult to the village and one especially to the Uchiha's. Obviously, the boy wasn't back to attack them for how terrified he was. "I'll bring you home." He hope that was reassuring; that somehow, no matter how unrealistic, the boy would remember home.

Of course wishes and dreams don't run the world and the boy immediately crouched into a defensive posture, one that Fugaku had only seen on orphans from some of the worse off countries...the ones where the lucky children had already died.

There was a raw fear reflecting from the boy's slightly unfocused eyes and it terrified Fugaku more than he thought possible. As unrealistic as it now seemed, everyone had pretended that although the boy was kidnapped he was being well taken care of and possibly even loved. Anything other than that didn't seem real, but now that the boy was staring at him he knew all too well that their hopes had been a simple delusion.

The simple wild look and clouded confusion in Naruto's eyes made the answer simple. It was a long term genjutsu. He knew what that looked like and he was impressed that the boy was even alive after that. But the real question was what type of genjutsu it was. What type of torture had they put the boy through? The frozen postures of both ended as the boy's eyes slowly tinged a deep purple. With a quick movement, Fugaku had the young boy unconscious and slung over his shoulder.

He was moving at high speeds towards the Hokage tower when the loud voice met his ears, "Uncle!"

Fugaku flinched slightly before realising just how perfect this situation was. They needed to find the men that did this. They needed to pay and they would certainly be close behind the boy and even if they weren't, tracks would still be fresh. They needed to act now.

Fugaku stopped and turned to his nephew and the boy's teammate. Within seconds, he sensed Kakashi realising just who he had over his shoulder. "I need you to track about a mile back. Find the men." The order was vague but he knew both young men immediately understood.

"Uncle, is that-"

"Now isn't the time to ask questions, Obito." Fugaku commanded firmly.

"Understood." Kakashi responded quickly, pulling on Obito's arm gently to get him moving.

Obito glanced back once more, his eyes more resolved and cold than he had previously seen. "We won't fail."

Fugaku paused to nod even though both men were long gone. He didn't look forward to arriving at the tower. There was no way to explain this.

He entered the first empty private suite in the tower. Normally, these were only reserved for diplomats and their families who had traveled from long distances, but this would have to do. He needed a secure location for the boy and there weren't many places quite as secure as the tower. It also offered a level of privacy that was needed. News of the boy's return didn't need to be spread when before they could be sure what happened. Before they could make sure the boy would recover. Before they could capture the people that did this.

He placed the small boy on the large white bed in the corner of the room. Fugaku couldn't help but compare the boy to his own son. It was like night and day. Even though it was obvious that the boy had not seen the sun, his pale skin was still darker than Sasuke's. It was obvious his skin tone came from Kushina and after a few hours in the sun he would be just as dark as his mother. The boy was also smaller than his son. A few weeks obviously made a difference...and probably malnutrition.

Fugaku took a deep breath before touching the seal that would alert the Hokage to the room. It was setup for public relations. It looked better to have the Hokage coming to you than simple members of staff.

The minutes seemed to crawl by before the door to the room opened to a mop of blonde hair, "Fugaku. I was wondering who was contacting me. I knew the room wasn't supposed to be in use. What's wrong? Has something happened in the village?"

Fugaku raised his hand to stop the barrage of questions. "We do have an issue." Fugaku turned slightly and gestured to the bed. There wasn't really anything he could say. 'We have your son back' wasn't quite right.

Minato stepped back a moment before rushing forward towards the bed. "This is-."

"Yes. Your son." Minato sat heavily and Fugaku took a breath before continuing. There was no good way to explain what had happened...what was happening. "He's not well. He didn't seem to recognize anyone in Konoha and was immediately defensive. I had to incapacitate him."

"What would do this?" Minato asked as he looked sadly at the smaller version of himself lying still in the bed. They had just got him back. He wasn't supposed to be like this. Damaged like this.

"Genjutsu. Long term genjutsu. We've seen it in a few small cases during interrogation sessions that went on for slightly too long, but never to this magnitude." Fugaku frowned. You didn't do this to children and the extent of the damage he couldn't even be sure. The boy was defensive and terrified. It almost seemed like he had been in the genjutsu for longer than he had been in the real world. And sadly, that could all too easily be the truth.

"How long would you judge it to be?" Minato was sure he didn't want the answer, but he had to ask.

Fugaku shook his head slightly. "To be sure we'd have to consult Inoichi."

"Can you guess?" He could wait the few more minutes for Inoichi to arrive, but he needed to know it wasn't as bad as he suspected. He had to know.

With eyes closed and a slight sigh Fugaku answered. "Years...probably a decade."

Minato nodded numbly before sitting heavily on the bed next to his son. It wasn't what he wanted to hear. "How is that even possible?"

"I don't know."

"Why would anyone-?" Minato's voice failed. It was his child. His child they stole so many years ago.

"I don't know."

The door opened breaking the silence that had fallen between the men. Although the footsteps were coming closer, neither could bring themselves to look away from the boy.

"You called for me, Hokage-sama?" Inoichi glanced at Fugaku's solemn face and the Hokage's hunched form before finally settling on the boy in the bed. The shocking blonde hair and profile of his face made for an easy understanding of the situation. "Is that-?"

"My son? Yes." Minato finally turned to look at the newcomer.

"Are you certain this isn't a trick or something?" It was hard to believe that a boy who had been missing for almost twelve years could have returned so easily.

"He is." Fugaku nodded to the boy. "There is no question of that."

Inoichi would take his word on that. Fugaku was good at his job and if he was sure then they all could be. "What do you need from me?"

"We need an examination." Fugaku took over the conversation while Minato simply stared at the child with his fists clenched.

"For what exactly?"

"The child was placed under a long term genjutsu."

"How long are we talking?" Inoichi saw Minato cringe from his peripheral vision.

"Too long." Was Fugaku's frank assessment of the situation.

Inoichi nodded before walking to the other side of the bed. Genjutsu's could be extremely dangerous when used for longer periods of time and could make the mind unable to distinguish reality once released.

"Minato, I think you should get Kushina and brief her on the situation." Fugaku commanded gently.

"I want to stay." Minato stated firmly.

"And I suggest that you brief Kushina and Inoichi and I will come find you at the tower with a summary of the findings. I've also sent Obito and Kakashi out to find who did this. A mission form needs to be filled out before they return which based on where I found the boy should be be relatively soon."

Minato looked up seeming to want to argue again, but he trusted Fugaku. They had been family friends for years due to the close friendship of their wives. Although it seemed like the man was trying to keep him away from his son, he was only being logical about the situation. With a sigh, he nodded and stood pausing to look at his son once more. "Hurry."

"We will, Hokage-sama." Inoichi responded.

Fugaku closed the door behind the devastated father. "Do you need anything before we begin?"

Inoichi shook his head. The only thing he really needed was for this to not be happening. Closing his eyes, he leaned forward and placed one hand on the small boy's head and the other on his shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chibi-Kari:** I'm not exactly happy with this chapter, but it's been written for awhile. This is turning out a lot darker and harder to write than I thought it would be. Well, anyway, I don't own and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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**Genjutsu**

**Chapter 2**

Inochi rubbed has forehead harshly. What he had seen-what the boy had been through-was appalling. Working in the interrogation department, he knew that torture had different effects and sooner or later someone would break. Physical torture often broke a person and got you the information you needed. On the other hand, psychological torture took longer, but if done properly, you could gain a tool along with the information. Instilling distrust and confusion in a person could turn the most seasoned shinobi against their villiage. What they had done to the small boy was a step farther than ingraining distrust of Konoha in him. They denied him love and even attention. "Why would they go so far? I don't understand."

Fugaku sighed heavily. He knew immediately what they were after once Inochi had informed him of what the boy had been through. It was sick and cruel. "Children that are denied love and are ignored at a young age tend to be cruel, aggressive, and are unable to have healthy relationships; not to mention they have very little impulse control."

Inochi shook his head. "Why would they do that, though?"

"What would a child who was cruel and aggressive with no ties to a village and was incapable of forming a relationship do when they were presented with people that tried to reach out to them and love them?"

"Attack like a caged animal, obviously."

"There's your answer."

Inochi was silent for a moment, "What are we going to do?"

"You said he was an attention seeker and wanted to make attachments?" Fugaku sighed. At least it seemed the boy wasn't aggressive, which of course was ironic considering their first encounter.

"Yes. He is unwaveringly loyal at the moment, probably why they kept him in the genjutsu. But it still troubles me that something was influencing their genjutsu. I could see the wave patterns. It was probably the only thing that gave the boy the hope he needed."

"That is troubling. I've never studied what a genjutsu on top of another would do, but chances are it would not be good."

"I'm still not sure that is what it was. It almost didn't seem to be coming from an outside source." Inochi shook his head, it baffled him. "But at least that means it will be easier to integrate him back into the village; easier since he's not aggressive."

Fugaku pursed his lips, if only it was that easy. He distinctly remembered getting called to a house fire that was set by a newly adopted child. Although the girl had been extremely happy about being adopted, after years of neglect she had developed extreme anxiety which reached its pinnacle with the fire. "Let's hope." Minato and Kushina were going to have to navigate the situation carefully. The boy had been alienated and scorned. He would be mistrustful and based on what Inochi has said, Fugaku was certain the boy wouldn't open up. He'd be the type that smiled and talked a lot, but would talk just enough that he wouldn't have to say anything deep about himself.

"Where is he?" Kushina's breathless voice interrupted their conversation. She hung onto the molding around the newly opened door, her fingers turning white from her grip.

Fugaku gestured to the bed behind him as Inochi made his way around the same bed to bow to the Hokage's wife. "He's still sleeping."

Kushina nodded absently, but didn't take another step forward. Fugaku had never seen the woman like this. Normally, she would be full of life, doting on her returned son or off seeking vengeance for him, but instead she was clinging to the frame of the door looking as if she was going to faint.

Minato stepped behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing lightly. "Let's go see our son. He's beautiful."

Kushina's teary-eyes looked back at her husband for a moment before she nodded.

The couple moved into the room while Fugaku made his way towards the door. Inochi bowed slightly before leaving, but Minato and Kushina ignored him completely. He wouldn't blame them. He would act the same in their position.

Fugaku hesitated at the door. He wanted to give the family some peace, but he needed to debrief Minato or at least prepare them a little for what would come.

"Please stay, Fugaku." Minato's voice wavered slightly and Fugaku felt a pride build in his chest. Their families had always been close and held a great deal of respect for each other, but the strength of this man humbled him and made him proud to call him leader.

"Yes, Hokage." Fugaku stood taller as he stepped out the door and closed it behind them to allow for a few moments of privacy.

Minato glanced back at the closed door. If he could give the man a commendation, he would. His guidance had been invaluable so far and it would be even more so in the coming days. Of course, he didn't look forward to informing him that Obito and Kakashi hadn't found the men. Fugaku took security seriously, which was why he was head advisor on village security and relations. He was furious, of course, but Fugaku was something more...he was calculating. Minato counted his blessings every day that their families were so close or they would have had a coup years ago and more than a few of the Uchiha's would have lost their lives. The way things had been going, the council most likely would have asked for their eradication. Thankfully that had been something that was unnecessary, but it would have been a tragedy on many levels.

"He's so big." Kushina's voice broke as she swept a hand through Naruto's blonde hair. She couldn't take her eyes off of her boy. At first glance he looked so much like his father, but looking closely she could see bits and pieces of herself. It was heart breaking.

"We have him back." Minato said firmly as much for himself as her. It was so hard to believe that simple fact. Somewhere along the way he had stopped believing their son would come home. He felt like a horrible parent, but this all felt like a dream-one that he was going to wake from at any moment.

"Can we bring him home? But we need a bigger bed and clothes. He needs clothes." Kushina laid her head on Naruto's hand. She was becoming quickly overwhelmed.

Minato watched as her shoulders shook with her silent tears. It was devastating. But Kushina was right. The room they had kept was decorated for an infant. The shrine they had made wasn't prepared for the boy in front of them. A boy that they didn't know. A boy that probably didn't know himself due to what those people did to him. "We'll figure everything out. Everything will be okay." It had to be.

Minato straightened. He needed to talk with Fugaku and then bring his son home. "Fugaku can you come back in."

The door opened quickly and Minato was thankful that the man was always so attentive.

"Obito and Itachi are bringing over an extra bed from our compound and the clothes Sasuke just grew out of. Kakashi is at your house packing the room so it is prepared for your son." Fugaku spoke without preamble, one of the things Minato liked about him.

"You know the status then."

Fugaku nodded. The only sign of displeasure that could be seen was in his clenched fist. "Yes, my nephew debriefed me before I sent them off to setup for Naruto. Mikoto is also planning on bringing dinner by for you later."

Kushina stood up abruptly and then bowed deeply. "Thank you."

"No thanks are ever needed." Fugaku said firmly before mentally steading himself. There was no easy way to have the conversation he needed to have with them. "You were told he was under a long term genjutsu?"

Kushina looked towards Minato and then nodded. "Yes, but no details."

Fugaku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Minato felt his stomach drop watching the normally unshakable man attempt to compose himself.

"I was correct when I originally guessed it was for most of his life. It appears that it has been for his entire life." Kushina gasped and grabbed Minato's hand tightly.

Fugaku couldn't sugar coat this. There was no pretty way to say what they needed to know. "He does not believe he has a family. Emotional abuse was inflicted on him for years on end. The genjutsu supplied him with no emotional support and images of actual village members were twisted to become the inflictors of this abuse. This was probably done to give legitimacy to the illusion when they released him."

Minato nodded blindly. How could any human do this to another? How could someone do this to his son?

"Although this seems grim, there is a light within this. Your son is resilient. He is loving. He is forgiving." Fugaku paused. "There's something else."

"What?" Minato hated to ask but he needed to know. What else could have happened? What could make Fugaku hesitate like this?

"We believe that there was a reason he was kept in the genjutsu so long...longer than they anticipated." For a moment Fugaku couldn't find the words to describe what had happened. "There was something...manipulating...the genjutsu. It was giving the boy hope, or at least it looks like that."

Kushina gasped. She focused on her son before turning to her husband. "The Kyuubi."

Minato thought for a moment before nodding. "Would the yang do that?"

Kushina closed her eyes for a moment. "Not without reason, but yes. It is the light half. And while more aggressive, he is firm and shrewd. If he didn't like something, he wouldn't hesitate to intervene."

Fugaku nodded. It made sense and put him slightly more at ease regarding the situation. The separation and sealing that happened during the birth was a secret to the village as a whole, but the few that knew found the kidnapping even more alarming. He hoped the kidnappers hadn't known, although with the abuse thrown at Naruto those chances were slim to none.

Minato nodded contemplatively. "When can we bring him home and when will he wake up?"

"I'd like to get Tsunade to look over him before you take him home. I see no reason why you couldn't take him home when she gave her approval."

"I've called her already, she'll be here shortly."

"Have you thought what you'll tell him?" It was a question Fugaku hated to ask, but probably the most important.

"What do you mean? That we're his parents of course!" Kushina snarled.

Fugaku was slightly relieved that her spirit was returning, but the answer was worrying. "He doesn't know you."

Kushina's jaw locked with an audible clink. He was right. She had no idea what she was doing. She had never had a chance to be a mother and grow with her son and now she was the mother to a preteen. How was she supposed to explain what happened? How was she supposed to treat him? Would he even love her?

Fugaku internally winced. He knew that face. Mikoto was going to kill him. "Just move slowly with him and be understanding." He tried to be a bit softer, but it was of no use. Kushina was already lost in thoughts of being a bad mother. The best thing to do now was quit while he was ahead or behind as it was...nearly two decades of marriage had taught him that well. "If you need anything, you know Mikoto and I will be there."

A small knock interrupted the silence and Tsunade bent into the room, eyes narrowing on Fugaku. "I was called for?"

"Yes, the Hokage can fill you in. I must check on my son and nephew and brief the police force on their increased rounds." Fugaku quickly left the room.

The three adults stood silently for a moment before Tsunade finally asked. "Is there something you needed me for besides standing in a room? I do have duties at the hospital."

Minato sighed. Tsunade's tone always became slightly disrespectful and short when she was worried. And Jiraiya had been gone for two months already. To be honest, he was starting to get worried himself but right now he had bigger things to take care of. "I'm sorry for taking you away from your duties, but we needed the utmost discretion."

Tsunade schooled her expression at that. Minato believed in transparency, so he rarely asked for discretion and secret meetings. "You have it."

Minato nodded before gesturing towards the bed in the back of the room. "We need you to give an evaluation of someone."

Minato watched as Tsunade purposely looked away from the bed as she neared it. He could tell by her stiffness that she thought it would be her old teammate. It seemed like minutes to the parents before Tsunade's gasp filtered through the room.

Kushina walked closer to the door. She couldn't bear to hear what her son had been through. She was a strong kunoichi. She had been through many battles. Seen her country destroyed before her eyes and dealt with it all. But the thought of her baby, her innocent baby she was to protect, being tortured was too much at the moment. But if she got her hands on the men that did this to her baby they would pay and slowly at that.

"This is-" Tsunade's voice trailed off.

Minato looked between the two women before stepping forward to Kushina. He was out of sorts, so he knew his more emotional partner would only be worse. At first he had expected a warpath. Instead, he was presented with silence and unsteadiness. She needed him to be her rock right now and he was so desperately hoping she would be his. But Minato supposed that if he had to be swept at sea it would be better with her. They would just have to figure things out one day at a time.

The sound of Tsunade's chakra was deafening, but when it cut off Minato found himself wishing she was still looking. It was that moment he realised he didn't want to know. He didn't want to have to face any physical damage his son may have on top of the mental. All he wanted to do was close his hand and go back to that night. That night that someone came and stole his baby away. He wanted to raise Naruto. See him grow. Help him learn. Care for him. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to listen to Tsunade outline everything wrong with his son. Frankly, he wasn't sure he could handle anything else.

Kushina's hand slipped up to grasp Minato's arm firmly. They would get through it together. There was no other option.

"He'll be okay." Tsunade's voice was soft, but carried through the silent room as if it was a scream. "He's smaller than he should be. Slight malnutrition, but nothing terrible. His muscles are a little underdeveloped." Tsunade stopped for a moment and cleared her voice. "I would guess that's because he didn't get out to play. I noticed some atrophy that would coincide with long time laying, but overall he's fit. They-" Tsunade stopped. She didn't want to say anything good about these people. She was Naruto's godmother. She wanted nothing more to find these people and kill them. "Obviously the kidnappers had some form of medical training and made sure that he was never in any major medical danger."

Minato nodded. He was relieved, but he still couldn't bring himself to look at Tsunade. Not yet.

"When can we take him home? When will he wake up?" Kushina had recovered slightly. All she really wanted to do now was bring her baby home.

"Someone incapacitated him, but it was gentle. Most likely he is still asleep due to the malnutrition. He's weak so his body will need more sleep. If he had exerted himself in any way he will most likely still be asleep for a few more hours. I can move him to a room in the hospital to fully recover before you bring him home if you would like. Then maybe in a few days-"

"Can he come home now?" Kushina's firm voice stopped Tsunade's rambling completely.

"Yes. But as a doctor I don't completely recommend it."

Kushina turned, her eyes flashing as they made contact with Tsunade's. "As a mother, I do."


End file.
